The present invention is an apparatus for tossing a ball. More particularly, the present invention is a free standing device which can launch a series of volleyballs spaced in time to replicate numerous volleyball situations including a serve, a pass, a set or a hit in a volleyball environment.
The sport of volleyball has become one of the fastest growing participation sports in the United States, as well as in the entire world. More people play organized volleyball at the present time than at any other time in the past. Volleyball leagues and tournaments are held both throughout the United States and throughout the world. In addition, indoor volleyball has been an Olympic sport for several years, and beach volleyball made its Olympic debut in the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, Ga.
There are a variety of different types of volleyball leagues and tournaments. In particular, there are women's leagues and tournaments, men's leagues and tournaments, and co-ed leagues and tournaments. In each of these categories, volleyball games can be played indoors on a hard court surface, or outdoors on either a grass surface or sand surface. In addition, the number of players per team can vary anywhere from two to six players playing for one team at any given time.
Due to the increasing popularity of the sport of volleyball, most colleges and universities have both men's and women's varsity and/or club volleyball teams which compete against other college or university teams similar to the sport of basketball. Likewise, a majority of all high schools in the United States offer volleyball as a varsity sport for both boys and girls. In addition to the college and high school arena, there is also an official governing body in the United States which governs both boys and girls volleyball activities during the off-season and mens and womens volleyball activities throughout the year. This governing body is called the United States Volleyball Association. The United States Volleyball Association offers tournaments throughout the off-season for boys and girls ranging from ages 10-18 in their junior Olympic program. The Unites States Volleyball Association also governs men's and women's volleyball leagues and tournaments throughout the United States. Presently, there are over 2,000 adult men and women volleyball teams and over 5,000 junior Olympic volleyball teams registered with the United States Volleyball Association. Finally, in addition to both men's and women's professional beach leagues and tournaments, a womens professional indoor league has begun and a mens professional indoor league is slated to begin before the year 2000.
With the increasing popularity of volleyball in the United States, as well as the rest of the world, more and more players are becoming members of teams which practice regularly. During any given practice it is often desireous to practice various volleyball skills such as passing a served ball, setting a passed ball hitting a set ball or blocking a hit ball. Presently, a coach or an extra player is necessary to continuously serve or feed (toss) volleyballs to the practicing team. However, often times there is not an extra player to perform this task. In addition, consistency in the toss is very important. Without consistency, it is difficult to practice a particular skill. Finally, an individual player may want to practice a variety of volleyball skills such as passing a served ball, setting a passed ball, hitting a set ball or blocking a hit ball at a time when no other persons are present. Without the aid of additional personal to serve, pass, set or hit the volleyball, this player cannot replicate a game situation.
Therefore, there is a need for a machine which can provide the repetitive function of consistently serving, passing or setting a plurality of volleyballs to a player such that the player can practice one or more volleyball skills.